The Logical Way of Thinking
by Robyn Hood
Summary: After the events of Star Trek: Into Darkness, Spock and Uhura need to talk and evaluate their relationship. She's in love, but he only sees logic.


"Spock, we need to talk about us." Uhura said, hands on her hips. She had finally cornered him. He was a difficult man to get a hold of.

He turned to face her, extinguishing any tiny flicker of emotion within him. Outside, he remained stoic, cool, and logical. "I agree. A mutual exchange of information would be beneficial."

She gave him a hard look and barged into his quarters so they could have some privacy. "I just don't feel like you're putting anything into this. Like you don't even care! Why _are_ you with me, Spock? Don't you feel something for me like I do for you?" The words spilled past her lips, emotion bubbling to the surface. She was desperate for some sort of affirmation from him. This just felt pointless.

"On the contrary, I do care, Nyota. You must remember, however, that I am Vulcan, and as a Vulcan, I cannot reciprocate any feelings for you that you have for me. It is illogical." He spoke calmly, evenly, just as he always did.

Uhura sighed and dropped her face into her hand, squeezing the bridge of her nose. "Then _why_ are we together Spock?"

"I lost my mate on the destruction of Vulcan. I needed a new one. You were a logical choice." The loss of his home planet was still a touchy subject. He mentally put himself through the emotion-suppressing routines he'd learned as a child to eradicate any emotional response within him. Vulcan was gone. There was no use getting emotional over it.

"You had a mate?" Uhura's demeanor softened at his words. She wondered what kind of inner torment the loss of his mate had caused him, along with the loss of his mother and home planet. She couldn't even imagine what he must have been dealing with.

"I did. Her name was T'Pring. Vulcans are bonded at an early age, something more than an engagement but less than a marriage." He explained rather simplistically.

She plopped herself down on his bed, exasperated, whilst he stood motionless, hands clasped easily behind his back, as he always did. "You were bonded? How?"

"Vulcans are touch-telepaths, as you know. We were telepathically bonded so that when the time came for my pon farr, she would become aware and we could meet at Mount _Seleyah_, where we would be married."

Still, he wasn't forthcoming with details. She had to press him further. "What is pon farr?"

That seemed to get some sort of reaction out of him, though minute and quickly covered. Perhaps he was a bit uncomfortable? "It is the Vulcan mating ritual, literally translated, 'blood fire'. The male will regress to a state of volatile emotion, in which his metabolism will increase. He must mate or die. It occurs once every seven years."

"Have you had yours yet?" She'd had no idea what Vulcan mating was like. She'd just assumed it was the same as human mating.

He gave her a peculiar sideways glance, one eyebrow quirking up every so slightly. "A very personal question, don't you think, Nyota?"

She blushed, realizing her mistake. Of course sex would be taboo on Vulcan. "Of course. I'm sorry, Spock."

"Quite all right. To answer your question, no. Vulcans do not enter adulthood until their thirties, and as I am just passing that threshold, I have not experienced pon farr yet, though this is what makes you such a logical choice. Should I enter pon farr while serving aboard the _Enterprise_, I already have a willing and chosen mate. I should not have to go to New Vulcan or even waste precious time in search of a new mate. That is, of course, if you are agreeable to this." Spock answered truthfully, hardly even blinking.

Uhura was shocked. He didn't feel anything for her. She was just a logical choice for sex. Sex that would save his life, but sex nonetheless. She might have to research Vulcan mating rituals in the near future. "Of course, Spock. If you ever need someone to save your life, I'd be _happy_ to oblige you." And with that, tears in check, she stormed out of his room.

Spock watched her go, cool and emotionless as ever, and felt no glimmer of regret.


End file.
